With Warner Bros.’ “Mad Max: Fury Road” and Pixar’s “Inside Out” both premiering at Cannes, a thought from some is: is the Croissette becoming more mainstream? The answer: hardly. Outside of those two tentpoles that are both out of competition, there’s only four American productions in competition at Cannes (and two of the four filmmakers are non-American). Some mainstream highlights are always a good way for the festival to offset its arty and foreign taste (look at the full line-up this year and you’ll see very few mainstream concessions), and it’s been doing this for years (see “Maleficent” and “The Great Gatsby” for recent examples).
This will be Pixar’s second time at Cannes, and it’s a repeat for director Pete Docter — his film “Up” was the first animated film to be the festival’s opening-ceremony movie. “We are overjoyed at being included in this year’s official selection at Cannes,” Docter said in a statement. “With ‘Inside Out,’ we spent years imagining — and then building — never-before-seen settings and characters within the mind. It was an incredible, fun and exciting challenge, and now we can’t wait to share it with the world.”
“Inside Out” is set within the mind of an eleven-year-old girl named Riley, and five Emotions are hard at work. Led by lighthearted optimist, Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), whose mission is to make sure Riley stays happy, there’s also Fear (voice of Bill Hader), who heads up safety, Anger (voice of Lewis Black) ensures all is fair, and Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) prevents Riley from getting poisoned — both physically and socially. Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith) isn’t exactly sure what her role is, and frankly, neither is anyone else.
READ MORE: Watch: Director Pete Docter Talks ‘Inside Out,’ Emotions, And More In 20-Minute Interview
Co-directed by Ronnie Del Carmen (“Up”), and featuring an original score by Michael Giacchino ("The Incredibles," "Ratatouille," "Up"), Disney/Pixar’s "Inside Out" opens in U.S. theaters on June 19th. But those lucky enough to see it in France will see it first sometime in mid May. In the interim, off the heels of the Cannes announcement, Pixar has released the movie’s first clip. Watch it below and let us know what you think.